Stone Brothers Racing has announced that James Courtney will leave the team at the end of his current contract in a move that is ❀set to kick-start the V8 Supercar driver changes.

Courtney, who joined the team at the end of 2005 to replace NASCAR-bound Marcos Ambrose, finished sixth in♐ the championship standings this season at the wheel of t🅺he JELD-WEN Motorsport Ford Falcon.

He will remain with the team to fulfil ꧋commitments already🌠 in place before leaving when his contract expires at the end of the year.

While team and driver have made no further c💎omment on future plans, Courtney's most likely destination is believed to be Jim Beam Racing, where he would line up alongside Steven Johnson for the 2009 season.

Johnson's current team-mate, Will Davison, is expected to move over to the factory Holden Racing team for the new campaign to replace rꩲetiring legend Mark Skaife while a number of other driver moves are now expected to take place as the pack shuffles duri𒐪ng the off-season.

Who will replace Courtney at Stone Brothers remains to be seen, although the team has already ann𝔉ounced a tie-up with Jason Bright's Britek organisation for n🌃ext year.

Bright isn't expected to be a direct replacement for Courtney however, with sportscar racer Alex Davison being tipped by the Australian press as one possible candidate after an impressive season of rꦰacing in Europe.